FUNDAMENTAL FACTORSOF _ _ _ _ COMPREHENSiON IN READING _

A survey of the literature was made to determine the skills involved in reading comprehension that are deemed most important by authorities. Multiple-choice test items were constructed to measure each of nine skills thus identified as basic. The inrcrcorrclarions of the ninc skill scores were factored. each skill being weighted in the initial matrix roughly in proportion to its importance in reading comprehension, as judged by authorities. The principal components were rather readily interpretable in terms of the initial v:lriJblcs. Individual scores in components I and 11arc sufliciendy reliable to warrant their usc for practical purposes, and useful measures of other components could be provided by con·